Modern airports incorporate specialized lighting systems including, for instance, runway touchdown zone lighting systems, runway centerline lighting systems, taxiway centerline lighting systems, and edge lighting systems. Edge lighting systems are important because they help to define runways and taxiways and inhibit pilots from inadvertently driving their airplanes off the designated runway and taxiway areas. Most edge light installations incorporate a light fixture assembly that is attached to a support embedded into the ground. The light fixture assembly consists of a column having an end attached to a coupling of the support and an opposing end that carries a light fixture. The column projects upwardly from the coupling and supports the light fixture above the ground, thus providing above-ground lighting. An electrical plug at the bottom of the column is used to couple the electrical wiring of the light fixture to the electrical wiring of the airport.
The coupling has a frangible area, and is referred to as a frangible coupling. The frangible area of the coupling permits the coupling to break when struck by a plane or other vehicle, which is a common occurrence at airports. The plug is adapted to decouple when the coupling breaks to prevent damage to the electrical wiring of the airport, permitting the light fixture assembly and the broken off half of the coupling attached thereto to fall away from the support to minimize damage to aircraft. When a light fixture assembly is so broken away from its support, the other half of the coupling attached to the support must first be removed and replaced and then a new light fixture assembly attached thereto after, of course, securing the electrical plug between the wiring of the new light fixture assembly and the electrical wiring of the airport. The coupling is usually threaded to a lid or female coupling attached to the support. After a coupling is broken, removal of the part of the coupling remaining attached to the lid can be tremendously difficult and time consuming due to corrosion that normally occurs at the threaded attachment area, and because the threaded attachment area is often damaged when the light fixture assembly is struck by a plane or other vehicle. Often, the part of the coupling remaining attached to the lid is so severely damaged that it must be chipped away, which is a very time consuming, tedious, and difficult task.
Given these and other deficiencies in the art, the need for certain new and useful improvements is evident.